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Attention STEM educators: Apply for Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s CAST Awards

Feature STEM K-12
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The Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Career Award for STEM Teachers grants a STEM educator $175,000 over a period of five years for professional development, school-wide STEM projects, and more. The application will close on Sept. 30, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.

Want to meet the four winners from the last CAST class? EdNC wrote about them and their pathway to science in a series entitled STEM Road Trip. Check out their stories and see how you too could be BWF Career Award for STEM Teacher.

BWF CAST class of 2023

Eligibility requirements are found below and in this request for proposal:

  • Candidates must be currently licensed North Carolina public school STEM teachers who teach in grades K-12 in North Carolina public schools. 
  • Candidates must have completed at least five years of teaching experience with three of those years in North Carolina K-12 public schools at the time of application.
  • Candidates in middle school and high school must hold licensure to teach STEM in North Carolina and spend at least 70% of their time devoted to teaching STEM courses. Teaching professionals certified in Career and Technical Education may be eligible and should contact BWF prior to applying.
  • Candidates in elementary schools, who also can be STEM specialists, must spend at least 30% of their time teaching STEM. At least 20% of their time should be spent working with other teachers if they are specialists. 
  • Candidates must have superior knowledge of STEM, excellent teaching skills, demonstrated leadership, and a commitment to continue teaching in the North Carolina Public school system. 
  • Candidates must be citizens of the United States or have Permanent United States Residency. 


According to the website, all applications will require signatures and letters of support from the principal of the candidate’s school and the superintendent of the school district. In support of the application, the principal and superintendent must demonstrate that the necessary environment for successful STEM teaching and learning exists at the school and that there are opportunities for the teacher to be mentored and to mentor other teachers. The principal and superintendent must clearly outline in letters of support how the teaching professional will be supported and developed as a teacher leader in the district.

More than one candidate from a school or school district is eligible to apply.

Frequently asked questions can be found here. Applications for this award close Sept. 30 at 3:oo p.m.

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Editor’s note: The Burroughs Wellcome Fund supports the work of EducationNC.

Feature STEM K-12
Caroline Parker

Caroline Parker is the director of rural storytelling and strategy for EducationNC. She covers the stories of rural North Carolina, the arts, STEM education and nutrition.

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